Ultimate Spider-Man: Jack Coleman on Bringing Life to Doctor Strange

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The Heroes star discusses his voice role on Ultimate Spidey, plus The Office and The Vampire Diaries.

By Eric Goldman

One of the best characters on Heroes was Noah Bennett, thanks in no small part to the terrific performance by Jack Coleman. Coleman is returning to the world of superheroes this weekend on Ultimate Spider-Man, where he’s voicing iconic Marvel character Doctor Strange.

I spoke to Coleman about taking on the part of Strange (which reunites him with former Heroes writer/producer Jeph Loeb) and what it’s like for the Master of the Mystic Arts to encounter Spider-Man and Iron First. We also discussed Coleman’s recent roles on The Office and The Vampire Diaries.

IGN TV: Doctor Strange is known for saying some interesting things during his incantations.

Jack Coleman: Yes, there were lots and lots of colorful incantations. I’ve been known to come forth with some colorful incantations, but they’re probably more identifiable and less family friendly.

IGN: Probably the most famous from Marvel comics is, “By the hoary hosts of Hoggoth!” Do you get to say that or anything similar to it?

Coleman: I say something very similar to that, yes. There was no shortage of incantations! [Laughs]

IGN: Doctor Strange, over the years, has had different iterations. He’s been very stoic. Sometimes he seems almost a little bit hippy-ish. What’s the take on Doctor Strange in The Ultimate Spider-Man?

Coleman: I think a tiny bit hippy-ish may not be too far off the mark. Although, there’s not a whole lot of sitting around and navel-gazing. Let’s just say there is a strong imperative in the story to get to a solution. We were sort of on it right away, but anybody that has an interest that Stephen Strange has has probably got a little bit of an alternative view on the world.

IGN: Can you talk a bit about the crisis that Spider-Man brings to your door?

Coleman: The entire city has been cast in a spell that has lulled it to sleep. The city is all a-snooze and sort of lost in their own nightmare -- Nightmare being played by Mark Hamill. Spider-Man has come to me and needs help to wake the city from its slumber.

IGN: Animated series sometimes record actors on their own, sometimes you’re in a group. Do you get to record with the other actors on this one?

Coleman: I started out just reading with Drake [Bell - who plays Spider-Man] and Greg [Cipes - who plays Iron Fist]. Mark was not there. I kind of laid down the lines without really knowing what it looked like and what it was going to be like. Then I came back later and kind of got to revisit the entire performance, which I was very happy about because, frankly, it needed it! Nobody else was saying it, but when I saw it I was like, “Oh, yes. I’m very happy to get another shot.” So yeah, that’s how that went. Part of it is because not seeing the animation and not working with Mark -- you’re pretty much in a little bubble. So it was very nice to get another crack it.

IGN: Obviously, it’s a crisis. There’s not a lot of time for him to think it over, but what do you think Doctor Strange makes of Spider-Man and Iron Fist, these two superhero teenagers, showing up at his door?

Coleman: I don’t think he has a problem with it. That’s kind of his world, and they know each other. I think they kind of know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, stuff like that. I didn’t get the sense that this was an imposition. I think Doctor Strange just thought, “Okay, what’s going on?” You know, all those things like how a doctor is fascinated by some exotic disease. I think that there is an element of that with Doctor Strange and Spider-Man. You know, “What is it that’s happening, and what can we do about it?” I don’t think there’s any sense of, “You damn kids, get off my lawn!”

IGN: With Heroes and now with this, you’ve been involved with several superhero stories. Were you a comic book reader growing up?

Coleman: I was a Spidey fan as a kid. I always liked the complexity and the teenaged angst that Spider-Man, Peter Parker, always had to deal with. It was kind of a deeper, darker storytelling that just good-guy-beats-bad-guy. There was wrestling with self-doubt and all the things that teenagers really wrestle with. I think that when you are a teenager and you read their stories, I really do think it’s one of the reasons why Spider-Man has been so popular for so long. It’s really appealed to the sense of aspirations that kids have and the sense of adventure, but also the feeling of trying to assure themselves that they are good enough and that they belong. Being a teenager is very, very tricky. I think that’s one of the things that’s always appealed to me. I think it’s appealed to a lot of people over the years.

Continue to Page 2 as Coleman talks about reuniting with his fellow Heroes alumni on Ultimate Spider-Man and his roles on The Office and The Vampire Diaries.